"How did you manage to overcome the difficulties of your childhood: the poverty, the constant disruptions in your family life, and the death of your younger brother? Alicia, a poised and confident young woman in her 30s, is explaining to an interviewer how she became successful rather than helpless or self-destructive. "At home, I could never tell what would happen next, so I involved myself in activities I could rely on, like school and Girl Scouts and taking care of the little ones in the family. They were always around and always needed me. I saw proof that I was OK in my pile of finished work, the A's on my papers, the badges on my Scout sash, and the babies, all fed and asleep for the night." Throughout her life, Alicia has relied on the survival strategies she established as a child. When negative forces gather, she calls upon experiences where she can see herself as competent, effective, and "whole," rather than threatened, damaged, or incapable. For Alicia, school was a major source of these experiences. The positive lessons she learned about herself in elementary school classrooms fortified her for the struggles of her life and account for a significant part of her success. In many of our nation's classrooms today, teachers are providing the type of support that Alicia found in school, but without fully appreciating how much they are accomplishing. Research on resilience has only begun to shed light on some little-understood benefits of their efforts."[1]
10 Ways to Build Resilience
Make Connections
"Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience."
Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems
Find new ways to interpret and respond to these situations
Accept that change is part of living
By accepting what you cannot change, you can focus more successfully on things you can change.
Move toward your goals
Never allow yourself to move backward or be complacent with being almost successful.
Take decisive actions
Act as much as you can.
Look for opportunities for self-discovery
"Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of personal strength even when feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality, and a heightened appreciation for life."
Nurture a positive view of yourself
Confidence in yourself and your abilities builds resilience
Keep things in perspective
Things aren't always as bad as they seem.
Maintain a hopeful outlook
"Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear."
Take care of yourself
"Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience."[2][3]
"At home, I could never tell what would happen next, so I involved myself in activities I could rely on, like school and Girl Scouts and taking care of the little ones in the family. They were always around and always needed me. I saw proof that I was OK in my pile of finished work, the A's on my papers, the badges on my Scout sash, and the babies, all fed and asleep for the night."
Throughout her life, Alicia has relied on the survival strategies she established as a child. When negative forces gather, she calls upon experiences where she can see herself as competent, effective, and "whole," rather than threatened, damaged, or incapable. For Alicia, school was a major source of these experiences. The positive lessons she learned about herself in elementary school classrooms fortified her for the struggles of her life and account for a significant part of her success.
In many of our nation's classrooms today, teachers are providing the type of support that Alicia found in school, but without fully appreciating how much they are accomplishing. Research on resilience has only begun to shed light on some little-understood benefits of their efforts."[1]
10 Ways to Build Resilience
Information to share with students can be found here:
http://rrcp.ca/becoming-resilient/
Comas‐Diaz, L., Luthar, S.S., Maddi, S.R., O’Neill, H.K., Saakvitne, K.W., Tedeschi, R.G. (2008). The road to resilience. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx.
Bickert, T.S., Wolin, S. (1997). Practicing resilience in the elementary classroom. Principal Magazine. Retrieved fromhttp://www.projectresilience.com/article17.htm